Friday is a rest day. The perfect day to wind down from the week of school and after-school exercise. With only a half day on Saturday, it leaves plenty of time for a full hard workout then, with Sunday to rest and be ready for the new week. And what better for a hero aspirant to do on a rest day than to study up on heroes and watch all the latest Hero news.

"Kamui Woods is still going strong, but his quirk is a super strong capture type, and he's really good with it," Midoriya mutters to himself as he carefully watches the footage of the robbers getting undone by sudden branches, "Top 100 for sure, top fifty in a few years." touching up a few details on his sketch of the hero and adjusting a few numbers, his viewing is interrupted as an emergency report starts.

"We have a breaking news report. We have confirmation of one dead, six injured in the aftermath of a particularly violent villain attack involving the recently debuted hero Mt Lady. The heroine suffered minor injuries in the conflict, but successfully captured the villain. The attack happened on..."

"Oh that poor hero," Inko says from behind the couch, "It's terrible, having something like this happen so early in her career."

Immediately dialing his Sensei's number, Izuku's heart jumps as it goes straight to voicemail. Jumping to his feet, Izuku hurries to the door, fumbling to get his shoes on as he says, "Mom, I need to go out for a bit, I'll be back later."

"Is everything okay, dear?" she asks as he throws open the door, hands clasped together as she watches him leave.

"I don't know, but I just have to go check."

Flying down the apartment steps, he lands in a sprint, headed straight to the local train station. Riding the first train that will get him close, he tries her number again, only to get directed to voicemail yet again. Every minute stuck waiting slowly twists his guts, squeezing anxiety a little higher with every station it passes. In far too long, yet barely any time at all, he's at his stop and running again. The ever plain agency becomes visible, its entryway swarmed by reporters and others, all crowding in, yelling for comments.

Diverting down the back alleys, they're thankfully devoid of paparazzi as he makes his way up to the agency's back door. Entering his pin on the pad, it beeps green letting him enter to start up the dozen flights of stairs to get to her offices. Another keypad with a different pin lets him into the main area, the layout still the same, but with one addition. Still in her hero outfit, Mt Lady lay flopped out face down on one of the couches.

"Sensei, how are you feeling?"

She almost jumps, pushing herself up to meet his gaze, her eyes red from tears. "M-Midoriya, what are you doing here? It's your day off, isn't it?" she asks, quickly wiping her face on her costume's sleeve.

"I saw the news and..." Hands clenched together, he moves closer with slow steps, "I don't really know what to do, but I want to help. You don't have to go through this alone."

Rising to her feet, Yu quickly crosses the room to rest her head on his shoulder as her arms wrap around him. "Thank's, Izuku, I..." His arms squeeze her with a comforting strength while she gathers her thoughts. Relishing his grip for a minute or two, she eventually pulls away, saying, "Sorry, I shouldn't be like this. I'm a hero, We're supposed to be icons of justice and stuff."

Shaking his head, Izuku pulls her back into the hug, "You're still human, nobody should have to handle things like this alone."

"Geez," she murmurs, pressing her cheek to his, "I really picked the best student ever, huh?" Leaning into the embrace more, she lets herself relax as he supports her weight. "So, what now, Izuku?"

"Um, well, when I have a bad day, I get cozy and watch hero videos and have my mom make Katsudon for dinner. Oh, I heard eating ice cream helps, so we could get that too." Blinking, the irony of having a hero in his arms makes him blush before saying, "We don't have to watch hero videos though, there's plenty of movies and shows we could watch, or even video games if you like that."

"Sounds like a good way to get my mind off this, at least for a day or two." She says with a smile, pulling back from the hug once again. "Your place or mine?"

Blood rushing to his face, Midoriya lets out a squeak before stuttering, "M-my place. T-there's no way I c-could s-spend the night at your house, Sensei."

With just the smallest hint of a smile, she gives him a light shove before turning away. "A bold assumption there, Midoriya." she says, throwing a smirk over her shoulder before her mood catches up, and she slumps a little. "Give me a bit to change here, and we can get going."

Nodding, Izuku takes a seat before sending off a text to his mom, giving a brief explanation of what's going on. Her reply is justifiably confused but understanding on top of asking for a few more details. A few more messages back and forth, and mostly everything will be ready when he gets back with Yu. Speaking of, the blonde Heroine returns from the changing room, now in a pair of skinny jeans, a tight shirt and a still unbuttoned light jacket.

"I've let my Mom know what's going on, but if we want ice cream, we'll have to get it ourselves," Midoriya says, standing up and pocketing his phone. "Also, we should sneak out the back, the front is covered with reporters."

Holding a hand out to him, she says, "Lead the way."

With all the tender nervousness of an inexperienced teenaged boy, Izuku takes her hand in his, before heading for the back staircase. Through the door, down the stairs and out into the alley, his grip on her remains firm. The squabbling of the reporters echoes between the building as they travel along the back alleys till they're far enough away. Walking to the station, Izuku can't help but notice the lack of her usual personality. Her every step is gut wrenchingly familiar to his own before he was told he could be a hero. Before he met her.

Getting on the train they sit quietly, side by side amid the early evening traffic. The scenery passing outside does little to distract him from his companion, who seems to slowly curl upon herself as they travel, her eyes locked on the floor between her feet. Words of assurance catch in his throat, so instead of saying something stupid, he reaches his arm over her to gently hug her to his side.

Looking over at him, she gets a soft, warm smile and a gentle squeeze that makes a smile start to tug at her lips. "When did you get so smooth," she says softly as she elbows his side before letting out a huff and leaning into him. "I guess I don't mind right now."

With a willpower normally reserved for chasing his dream of heroics, Izuku manages to keep it together long enough for them to reach their stop and get off the train before he turns into a blushing mess. No longer hand in hand, they take a brief detour to stop at a convenience store for ice cream and a whole bag of snack food before arriving at Midoriya's apartment complex.

"It's not much since it's just Mom and I," Izuku says, opening the door before calling, "I'm back with Yu-sensei."

"Welcome back Izuku. Make yourself at home, Miss Takeyama, I'll get started on dinner."

Gently tugging her into the apartment, he switches to his slippers and says, "Go ahead and get comfy, I'll get the ice cream in the freezer then we can figure out what we want to do." Taking a brief moment to give his mom a hug, he stores the frozen treat and returns to find Yu flopped out across the couch again. Sitting down in front of the couch, he takes the remote and clicks on the tv and immediately changes it off the hero news channel. "What do you want to do, Sensei?"

Sitting up slowly, she looks down at him before setting a hand in his soft fluffy hair with a smile. "Put on a cheesy monster movie and bring the biggest softest blanket you have here." The TV swaps to streaming, a B-movie starting with a few more clicks before Izuku gets up to go dig through the closet. He returns a moment later with a thick winter comforter to wrap around her. As he hands her the blanket, she takes hold of his hands, yanking him down onto the couch with her. "You're staying with me," she says, putting the blanket around both of them.

With a cushion's gap between them, Yu can't help but feel a little disappointed, Izuku's earlier confidence gone in favour of a nervous boy trying a little too hard to stay focused on the movie. With an internal huff, she shifts a little closer before leaning into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. He jolts straight, hands suddenly clasping together in his lap while his eyes lock on the screen ahead, unable to look over at her.

"Don't be so stiff, Izuku," she grumbles, "Weren't you the one who said I shouldn't do this alone? Didn't you not hesitate to comfort me on the train? I just want someone to hold me close and let me know things will be fine."

Softening under her words, he lets out a long slow exhale before grabbing her up and pulling her onto his lap side saddle. Both his arms and the blanket wrap around her before she can speak, engulfing her in a soft warmth. "Is this better?"

"Much."

Relaxed in his gentle grip, head resting on his shoulder, Yu lets the feelings of the day fade as her mind is turned to mush by the low quality horror film. When a bag of chips is opened, she bites some straight from his hand, and while his lack of meaningful reaction is a little disappointing, it's not enough to ruin the cozy mood. The movie's halfway done by the time dinner is ready, a pair of Katsudon bowls brought over by Mrs. Midoriya who has an indecipherable look on her face hidden behind a smile as she looks at the pair.

If not for being weighed down, Izuku would have jumped as his favourite food is laid before them, instead he only squeezes her tight with one arm so he can lean forward to grab a bowl with his other hand. The scent of egg and pork wafts up as his embrace eases off so he can hold both the bowl and the chopsticks. When the first load of pork, egg and rice is lifted up, she can't help but blink as it's held in front of her, waiting.

When her mouth opens, the food is guided in to bathe her tongue in its nostalgic taste. A simple meal made after a day of school, a cheap and quick meal ordered at a small restaurant during a rushed lunch. The kind of taste you can have a thousand times but never get tired of. "You really know how to spoil a girl," she says as another bite is proffered as she finishes the first.

"You both need and deserve it," he replies, depositing the food in her open mouth. Crimson floods her cheeks as she chews and swallows before leaning into him more.

It doesn't take long to finish the dish, and he takes even less time with his own bowl, the only indicator he even tasted the meal being the occasional soft moan. More snacks come after, and by the start of the second movie, ice cream is on the menu. Yu eventually shifts, laying out across the couch with her head in his lap, the blanket being moved to cover her lower body. Halfway through the second movie, he ends up shifting as well, legs stretched out behind her as he leans on the armrest.

Not one to give up the opportunity, she slides up, leaning back against his chest, pulling his arm down in front of her shoulders. Ever so slowly, the troubles of the day are pushed back and kept away even as the exhaustion sets in. The warmth of the blanket, of his embrace, of his care all work together, lulling her to sleep before she realizes.

Gentle sunlight filtered through curtains slowly drag Yu to consciousness, a familiar, comforting smell pervading the area as instincts pull the blankets over her head. Memories return as her brain shakes off sleep, her failure, the cameras, the questions, the depression of the aftermath, and yet also Izuku doing his best to help. The memory of his arms around her combined with his scent pervading the air sends a flush of warmth through her system as she nestles in.

"Izuku!" she exclaims, shooting upright and looking around. Heroic faces greet her from nearly every surface, posters, figurines and merchandise filling seemingly every nook and cranny. Even her own visage stares back, a full collection of her newly released poster series lined across the wall front and center. Pulling off the blanket and shifting to the edge, she can't help but notice she's still fully dressed. "I guess he's still himself, even if he is a teenage boy."

Leaving the bedroom and slipping into the bathroom, Yu gives herself a once over, wiping away the clingy scent of sweat with a washcloth. A borrowed brush works out the tangles of sleep and brings back the natural bouncy spirals that run down the front of her hair. Some mouthwash and a splash of water across her face and she steps forth from the bathroom, ready to face the day.

At least until a chill runs down her spine and she turns to spot Inko sitting at the dining room table, a steaming cup of coffee resting between her hands.

"Good morning, Miss Takeyama, would you like some coffee?" Inko asks in a slow, controlled monotone. When the heroine shakes her head, Inko gestures to the chair across the table from her. "Then sit, I believe we have things to talk about."

Taking a seat across from Midoriya's mom, her hands find themselves clasped in her lap, legs together and back straight.

Focused green eyes stare deeply into her own, before all the tension leaves Inko's body like a balloon. "As a mother, I want to forbid Izuku from seeing you, to keep him safe from your wiles, yet..." Her gaze shifts to the coffee before her, her posture defeated. "And yet, as a Mom, I can see how good you've been for him. He's happier, healthier and more driven than he's been, well, almost ever. You've seen his room, it used to be almost entirely All Might, and now he's got every piece of merch he could find of yours. I don't know what happened between you two, but you're one of his idols now."

Memories surface of her first real talk with him, the insecurities, the self doubt, and eventually his question. "I think it's because I believed in him. He asked me if he could be a hero, and I said he could with hard work." The image of him, determination burning in his watery eyes springs to mind, and Yu can't help but feel a flush of pride. "I mean, he was just this adorable little green string bean. Smart and heroic, yes, but that's not enough to beat villains, so I offered to help with his training and let him use the gym at my agency since he'd have troubles with normal gyms."

"So you know then?"

"About how he's quirkless, yeah. He told me." A hand lifts to her chest, clenching even as her heart does, thinking of what he must have suffered through, "When I first really talked to him, he was a mess of nerves and anxiety and self doubt, and while I'm no therapist, I think he's doing a lot better now."

The greenette nods, taking a moment to take a sip of her drink before saying, "When he was little, when he was... diagnosed as quirkless, I couldn't support his dream. Even since then, I've never been able to support him, not like you have. Not like he wants." Tears slowly begin to drip down her face as she stares into the swirling blackness of her coffee.

"Maybe not, but it's also because of you that he's the amazing boy he is today." Yu says, reaching across the table to pat the woman's hand, "You raised him to be kind and caring and smart. Sure, you weren't perfect, but nobody is. I mean, I'm a disaster in the kitchen, and..."

Pushing herself up from the table, Inko swells with determination, walking around the table to grab Yu's hand. "Well we can't have that. Everyone needs to know how to cook, and you especially need to learn how to make Izuku's favourites if you want to be with him." Pulled to her feet, Yu finds an apron shoved into her hands as Inko turns to start pulling things out of cupboards. "We'll start simple, have you ever used a rice cooker before?"

Several hours later, Izuku arrives home to the pervasive smell of Katsudon before even entering the apartment. "Mom, I'm home!" he calls out, only to be greeted by an unusual sight. The kitchen, so often occupied by his mom, is instead manned by his sensei, her hair done up in a bouncy ponytail and her body draped in his own All Might apron. His mind only had barely a few seconds to handle the message of "Smash the Chef" written across her chest before a fresh wave of Katsudon smell sucks away his rational thought as she turns to him, a steaming bowl of it in hand.

"Welcome home, Izuku, your Mom's been teaching me how to cook." She says, setting the bowl down at the table, "We can have it for lunch before we head to my agency for today's work out, yeah?"

Izuku simply nods, not trusting his mouth not to say something stupid. Sitting down in front of the bowl, he feels Yu's eyes on him as he takes his first bite. A second and third follow immediately before he takes the time to breathe and say, "It's good."

There's a quiet, near inaudible squeal from her before she pushes out her chest, hands on her hips as she says, "Of course it is, I did my best and I'm amazing." Dishing up a bowl of her own, she takes a seat next to him at the table and digs in. From the first bite, she can tell it's not as good as the bowl she had last night, but it's heaven and earth compared to what she would have made if asked to do it this morning.

Finishing a bite, he lays his chopsticks across the bowl and looks right at her. "How are you feeling, Yu?"

Her proud facade quivers under his gaze before falling away into an earnest nervousness. "I..." she starts, before letting out a soft sigh, "It still hurts. Not the injuries, but the failure. I did my best, and it wasn't enough. People got hurt... someone died. I have to go on knowing someone died because of my inability to protect them." Trying to blink away tears as they form, a hand suddenly wraps around her own, squeezing it softly.

"You did the best you can do for now." Izuku says softly, "But you're like me. With so much room ahead to improve, we can only get better from here." His second hand joins his first in wrapping around hers, and his own smile slowly brings one out from her as their eyes lock. "And I'll do whatever I can to help, Sensei."

A warm silence fills the air between them as neither seeks to break the contact until Inko pokes her nose into it. "Don't let the food get cold you two." She says, reminding them both of her presence. Soft blushes grace cheeks as they detach and turn back to their lunches, but the smiles stick too. "Don't worry about the dishes, I can handle them while you two go do whatever it is you do." The blushes return with a vengeance as Inko starts tidying up the leftovers.

This is the last of the stuff I have prewritten. I Might be able to get another chapter done by next Wednesday, but after that, who knows. All I know is I'm going to finish this story, or die before I do.